~ simply feisty seeds

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

The day after I began Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle, I finished it. Not only is it a fast read, I just couldn’t put it down. It was weird and creepy and the further along I read the more disturbing it got.

As I mentioned a few days ago, Constance and Mary Katherine (affectionately called Merricat by Constance), and Uncle Julian live alone in the Blackwood family home. Six years prior to the start of the story, there were seven Blackwoods living in the huge house on a large piece of property. But four of the Blackwoods died one night at the dinner table after sprinkling what they thought was sugar on the berries they had for dessert. The arsenic would have killed Uncle Julian too but he didn’t use enough of it to be fatal. Nonetheless, his health was ruined by it. Merricat had been sent to her room without dinner, and Constance, the one who always did the cooking didn’t like sugar. Of course, Constance was blamed.

Constance was tried and acquitted. She was so traumatized by the whole ordeal she never left the house again. Uncle Julian was in a wheelchair. Merricat was the only one able to venture out to town to buy food and other supplies. She went twice a week and she hated it. The townspeople hated her. The townspeople hated all the Blackwoods. It didn’t used to be that way. There was some animosity before the poisoning and the trial, but afterwards, they never forgave Constance for being found not guilty. A few old family friends still visited once a week for the sake of the friendship they had with the girls’ parents. Besides them and the doctor who came to see Julian, the three were all alone.

No telephone. No radio. Hardly any visitors. Constance spends her days keeping the house tidy, cooking, gardening, and caring for Uncle Julian. Merricat spends her days helping Constance keep things tidy and wandering the woods with her cat Jonas. Merricat is 18 but acts like she is still 12. She buries things around the property, talismans. She does not like any variation from the usual routine. She often tells Constance “if we lived on the moon…” Constance is 28 and treats Merricat like she is still 12 and acts like her mother. Their relationship is very odd and uncomfortable.

The poo hits the fan when one day Cousin Charles shows up at the door. Charles is the son of one of their father’s brothers. When this brother married, his new wife decided she did not like the Blackwoods and cut off all connection. Charles’ mother died recently (his father was already dead) and he appears on the pretense that he wants to mend the family and get to know his cousins. Merricat hates him. He is an intruder and a threat to her peaceful, routine existence.

I can’t tell you anymore because it will ruin the whole book. I will say that we find out who put the arsenic in the sugar bowl. We learn the true colors of Charles. And we are shown the depths of fear and guilt that live in the hearts of the townspeople.

While I enjoyed the book immensely, I liked Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House better. That one was much more menacing in a way that was missing from this one. However, this was a truly excellent read for my first RIP III book.

OK. If I can find this at the library, I will definitely read it. I wish I hadn’t already read The Haunting of Hill House because it was such great fun to read! I remember being horrified by The Lottery in high school… fabulous author.

Oooh I still haven’t read The Haunting of Hill House and now I’ve just got to read We Have Always Lived in the Castle as well! The library has failed me here – no copies of either book – I’ll have to buy them.

I also agree with lazygal and melanie. I’ve always loved this story more than Haunting of Hill House.

If anyone else hasn’t read the story yet, SPOILER ALERT (possibly). 😉

Stef, I always thought there was a weird possibility in this story that – toward the end, at least – Merricat was in fact a ghost. Constance was able to see her and hear her, but no one else. It’s been many years since I read it, but that memory sticks out. Especially in how Charles behaves towards Constance, as if he doesn’t even see Merricat behind all these weird things going on. Of course, that wouldn’t explain how the groceries were purchased, but still…the story was so overly bizarre, and particularly at the end, that it seemed it might have a “Sixth Sense” type of twist.

Joanne, thanks. Jackson is incredible and highly underrated in my opinion. I love the Lottery. It gives me chills every time I read it.

Daphne, you will like this one for sure too. I liked Hill House better but this one was a close second. Merricat is a sweet name. I liked it.

Lazygal, oh yes, I agree the sisters and their rituals were definitely high in creep. I think I liked Hill House better because in the end we are never really sure what happened, there is still a bit of mystery. Plus ghosts really freak me out 😉

Danielle, perhaps it will be what you pick up after the Mary Stewart? I can’t wait to hear your take on it.

melanie, definitely both good reads. Hill House just had a slight edge over this one for me.

BooksPlease, oh no! Sorry your library doesn’t have them. They are worth owning though if that is any consolation.

Litlove, you would love Jackson, lots of weird psychological horror and strange family relationships.

deslily, very perfect for RIP. I am looking forward to reading what other people think about it too.

Nymeth, you are the second person to say the Lovecraft is a good read. That is heartening since I have never read him before. I will also look forward to your thoughts on Jackson.

Dorothy, Jackson is a very fun writer, a gem really.

Peg, hmm, yes, I know what you mean about the ghost thing. There was a moment when something similar crossed my mind. But there wasn’t enough to convince me. Maybe I am too harsh of a critic? 😉

I really enjoyed this one when I read it a few months ago. It did indeed have a creepy atmosphere throughout the whole book that I believe had a lot to do with seeing things more from the viewpoint of one specific character. It was very well written.

SPOILER:

My only complaint at all was that I wasn’t sure the character of Charlie stayed true to his motivations as the book went on. He seemed to me to be obviously after something, or several somethings, and then all of a he was gone. That seemed very odd to me and didn’t necessarily ring true. But that is a small complaint in an otherwise delightfully eerie read.

Chris, she is lots of fun. I’ve yet to read something of hers I did not like.

Carl, I know what you mean about Charles. His just leaving was a little odd but I tossed it up as deciding he wasn’t going to get anywhere. He did come back in the end but it did feel slightly awkward.

Jenny, thanks for the recommendation! I was wondering if they were worthwhile and now I know 🙂

Framed, thank you. I’ve been adding books to my future RIP list too. Carl had better keep this challenge going for a very long time!